Content Creation

Teachers are often looking for content specific apps to reinforce the lessons that they are teaching. They are hoping for a quiz or perhaps even a game to drill and review what students need to remember. Though I can share with them games to practice multiplication facts, grammar rules, or location of states and capitals I know that is not really building higher level thinking or 21st century skills.  In order to truly harness the power of this technology in the classroom, we must go beyond the Blooms levels of remembering and understanding into creating.  Let me help you find more than beyond basic content apps and move towards what I call “content creation” apps.  For example, free apps such as Animoto or Educreations allow students to create presentations to teach what they have learned, and Bitsboard or Zondle allow students to create interactive games on the content they choose. Such content creation apps allow for higher level of thinking as students produce their own knowledge and search for answers. By allowing students to create their own content teachers can also easily differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. 
-Michelle Bothel

Animoto: Use photos and short video clips on your iPad or computer to create "professional" videos. Be sure to create an Animoto for Education account for more features.

Zondle: Using the Zondle website create multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions. On the app students can play games with the questions.

Educreations: Turn your iPad into a recordable whiteboard. With photos, drawings, text, and voice create instructional videos on any topic.

Bitsboard: Create picture vocabulary cards and play games to practice with them. Share flashcards with others in the catalog.